Veteran Status for Financial Aid Purposes

Students who have been discharged from any regular branch of the United States military; Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard, with a discharge reason of other than dishonorable, are considered veterans for financial aid purposes. Veterans are automatically independent regardless of age. A student who checks the Veteran’s box on the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has his record compared with the Veteran’s Administration database. It sometimes takes as high as six months between a veteran’s discharge and inclusion on this database. If the student’s record does not match with the VA database, the student should furnish a copy of their DD214 to Student Financial Services at the Campus Hub to expedite award processing.

Students who are members of the National Guard or Reserves are not considered veterans for financial aid purposes unless the student has completed active duty exclusive of training purposes. All National Guard or Reserve members who have completed active duty either in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the United States or active duty in a foreign country and have been discharged with a discharge reason other than dishonarable are considered veterans, and therefore, independent students regardless of age. National Guard and Reserve members records do not get sent to the Veteran’s Administration database. Therefore, these students must submit a copy of their DD214 to Student Financial Services at the Campus Hub to confirm veteran status and expedite award processing.

All veteran’s educational benefits, regardless of the chapter under which they are paid, are considered a resource for financial aid purposes and must be reported to Student Financial Services on the Response Form that accompanies the student’s award letter.

Deferment Eligibility

Veterans and those being deployed and returning from deployment:

You are eligible for a deferment during the time that you are called up for active duty on your federal student loans. Please contact your Guarantor and/or lender for information and forms needed for this deferment opportunity

After your deployment:

You are eligible for a deferment of 180-days on your federal student loans when you return from active duty. Please contact your Guarantor and /or Lender for information and forms necessary to take advantage of this deferment opportunity.

If you were in school or in your grace period when you were called up, you have the ability to take a 13-month deferment on your federal student loans following your return. Please contact your Guarantor and /or Lender for information and forms necessary to take advantage of this deferment opportunity.

Attention Active Duty Veterans:

If you withdrew from college during a term because you were called up for active duty military service after December 31, 2002, and you were eligible for MN Grant, please inform the Campus Hub of the semester you were required to withdraw. Provide a copy of your orders or your DD214, and we will evaluate your eligibility to receive an additional semester of MN Grant to replace the semester lost due to active duty.

Scholarship Opportunities

For veterans who served on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan, the following outside scholarship may be available to you: The Horatio Alger Military Scholarship was launched June 2005 and is reported to be the first national scholarship specifically for Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. The Horatio Alger Association will distribute a total of $10 million in scholarships to honorably discharged American veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. To be eligible, veterans must have served in Afghanistan or Iraq in 2001 or later and must demonstrate U.S. citizenship, financial need, and the intent to pursue bachelor's degrees. The deadline for applications is September 1. Stars and Stripes reports that the $5,000 scholarships are to be paid directly to the schools in $1,250 increments over four years. More information on the scholarships, including an online application, is available at horatioalger.com/scholarships/.